Campsites that cater to sports enthusiasts will benefit from the Olympic motto. Here you will find the most important facts about the 2024 Olympics – and ideas on how to bring the Olympic excitement to your campsite. This can bring benefits not only to Parisian or French campsites, but to campsites all over Europe.
What, when, where – Olympics 2024
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris will take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024 – during the summer holidays of many European countries. The Summer Paralympic Games in Paris will follow in late summer, from 28 August to 8 September.
Athletes from all over the world will compete for medals in 32 sports and 329 competitions at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Some of the games will take place in the centre of Paris, for example at the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, La Défense Arena (swimming) or Stade Roland Garros (tennis).
Many other competitions will be held in the greater Paris area, above all the athletics highlights at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, which will become an Olympic stadium, or the canoeing competitions in Vaires-sur-Marne. Medals will be contested at many other sports venues – even at the Palace of Versailles (equestrian competitions, modern pentathlon or niche sports such as cross-country mountain biking).
Other major French cities are also taking part. For example, the ball is rolling at the Olympic football tournaments in Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Saint-Etienne and Nice. The centre of the Olympic sailing competitions is the marina in Marseille.
All venues for the 2024 Summer Olympics
Olympic fun all over Europe – what campsites are doing
Public screening – from the European Championships to the Olympics
During the European Football Championships or World Cup, many campsites delight their guests with public screening. Even if this is perhaps not so pronounced at the Olympics, many holidaymakers enjoy watching. Did you already set up a large screen for the 2024 European Football Championships, creating an international sense of community and boosting catering sales? Perhaps you will do the same for the Olympics? For example, for the TV highlights such as the finals of the Olympic ball sports tournaments or the final competitions in athletics?
If athletes from the countries your guests come from have a chance of winning a medal, interest will increase. Other guests are only interested in one or two sports. Campsites where specific sports already play a major role, such as sailing, surfing or horse riding, could broadcast these competitions.
Guests who would like to watch Olympic competitions on their smartphone or tablet will of course be keen to have sufficient Wi-Fi bandwidth.
Overview of dates for the 2024 Summer Olympics
Olympic decorations on the campsite – as colourful as the world
The flags and garlands that decorated campsites for the European Football Championships can be left hanging for the Olympics. Perhaps it will be even more colourful – with flags from participating countries from all over the world? Of course, the Olympic rings should not be missing either.
The Olympic idea of peaceful, fair competition between athletes from different nations fits perfectly with camping. When camping, holidaymakers from many countries meet, get to know other cultures and perhaps enjoy a little competition…
Also cheap to realise and good for international understanding: Create a simplified medal table, for example on a chalkboard at the bar. Your team can enter the medals won by your country and the most important countries of origin of your guests on a daily basis. This public medal table invites holidaymakers to talk about the Olympics together and share their joy.
Guest Olympics to take part in
Whether ball games or games of skill, outdoor adventures or creative activities: children love competitions. For campsites with a children’s programme, it’s only a small step to a children’s Olympics, as demonstrated by Family and Adventure Camping Poglitsch in Austria.
Your children’s entertainers are also sure to have good ideas for age-appropriate children’s Olympics – from egg runs or centipede races for the little ones to scavenger hunts, water balloon throwing or ‘Olympic’ painting competitions for the slightly older ones.
Relevant websites of kindergartens, group leaders and parents offer many more ideas – please enter ‘Children’s Olympics’ in the search engine. Campsites can organise their own Olympics for their young guests with little effort.
Gold, silver, bronze or just be there!
Important for the Children’s Olympics on campsites: ‘medals’ or certificates. They don’t have to be expensive, what counts is creativity: a designed certificate (with the campsite logo), on which the child’s name is handwritten, reminds the guests of their holiday with you. Every child who has taken part should receive a certificate or ‘medal’.
Those who have achieved gold, silver or bronze are honoured with a specially designed certificate. The award ceremony on an improvised podium or on the children’s club stage becomes an international event that delights children and parents alike.
Children love to be involved right from the design stage – for example, they can make medals out of cardboard at the kids’ club and colour them in with child-friendly gold paint. Painting or colouring in the Olympic rings and sports motifs is also fun for kids. For safety and cost reasons, ribbons to hang around the medals should be avoided. Or they can be made from strips of paper that tear if the children ‘get stuck’ somewhere.
Young and old guests like to compete
A small guest survey by PiNCAMP shows: Active camping guests attach particular importance to the football pitch, tennis, swimming facilities and bike hire. Teenagers and adults are also enthusiastic about basketball, archery, beach volleyball or table football tournaments. Sports fields, table football or even the fine sand on the beach are often already there. You simply need cheerful entertainers, the sports equipment and improvised certificates or trophies.
Campsites with pools inspire their active guests with water polo tournaments and more. To ensure that the focus is on fun and not ambition, the games should always be supervised by entertainers.
Instead of expensive trophies or medals, the winners or all participants can be rewarded with a small treat or a merchandising item.
‘No sports’ – but still fun with the Olympics
An Olympics with other ‘disciplines’ can also enthral guests and create special memories of your campsite. What do you think of a quiz or bingo Olympics for the whole family in the campsite restaurant? Or a fun tent pitching competition, a ‘who can build the most beautiful sandcastle’ or mini golf Olympics for the whole family?
Olympics on your campsite – there are no limits to creativity
What do you think about children’s and guest Olympics? What experiences have you had; how do you utilise your guests’ enthusiasm for sport? We look forward to hearing your opinion.